Smithsonian's National Zoo: #PandaStory: A Panda With A Personality That Shines

Georgetown DC

01 August, 2021

2:01 AM

Description

Press release from Smithsonian's National Zoo: July 30, 2021 This update was written by giant panda keeper Mariel Lally. In just three weeks, our giant panda team will celebrate a major milestone: Xiao Qi Ji's first birthday. This past year has been a challenging one, in many respects, but watching this little cub develop into the smart, observant, inquisitive and goofy bear he is today has brought us—and fans around the world—a lot of joy. As a keeper, much of my time is spent observing and interacting with Xiao Qi Ji. His personality is very evident! Watching him run around the habitat with a bounce to his step puts a smile on my face. Xiao Qi Ji has a knack for turning anything into a fun toy—from enrichment items, to pieces of bamboo, to sticks that he finds outside. Our clever cub is also inquisitive. When Xiao Qi Ji investigates his environment, he tends to be more cautious than his brothers and sister were. Whether climbing up or down, he takes his time and is careful about his footing. He very rarely misses a step! All around, Xiao Qi Ji seems to make good choices. He comes indoors (where there is air conditioning) when the heat of the day sets in. He readily comes to keepers when we call his name—a behavior known as "recalling." Last, but not least, he has become a super star with husbandry training! Participation in training sessions is completely voluntary, but Xiao Qi Ji almost always chooses to interact with us—especially when a sweet potato reward is involved. If you regularly follow our #PandaStory updates, you may recall that he mastered a few behaviors, including target training and climbing upon a scale. On July 28, he weighed 26.5 kilograms, or 58.3 pounds. All around, Xiao Qi Ji seems to make good choices. He comes indoors (where there is air conditioning) when the heat of the day sets in. He readily comes to keepers when we call his name—a behavior known as "recalling." Last, but not least, he has become a super star with husbandry training! Participation in training sessions is completely voluntary, but Xiao Qi Ji almost always chooses to interact with us—especially when a sweet potato reward is involved. If you regularly follow our #PandaStory updates, you may recall that he mastered a few behaviors, including target training and climbing upon a scale. On July 28, he weighed 26.5 kilograms, or 58.3 pounds. This press release was produced by Smithsonian's National Zoo. The views expressed here are the author's own.